Austin ISD weighs at least $60 million in cuts. A $16 million land sale the council rezoned helped this year's budget

Austin ISD's board heard options on Oct. 29 for cutting at least $60 million from next year's budget, and approved improvement plans for struggling campuses and the first phase of new attendance boundaries, Community Impact reported.

The school district is a separate government from the city, with its own elected board and tax rate. But its money decisions land in the same neighborhoods: which schools stay open, what happens to closed campuses, and what gets built on district land.

What the board did and heard

According to Community Impact:

• Improvement plans. Trustees approved six turnaround plans, four targeted improvement plans and 16 local improvement plans, which go to the Texas Education Agency by the end of November. Two trustees said the plans lacked parent engagement; district officials agreed to add it to campus plans.
• Cut options for 2027-28. Superintendent Matias Segura presented options including trimming nearly $20 million in turnaround school funding by up to $3 million, revisiting more than $20 million in stipends, expanding last year's music, art and PE staffing cuts, and selling the central office building. No action was taken.
• Payroll. The chief financial officer said payroll is 89.9% of the budget, compared with a national average of 81% to 83%.
• This year's surplus. The projected surplus rose to $39 million from a budgeted $19 million, largely because of a $16 million sale of the former Brooke Elementary site and higher-than-expected property values. Reserves would still end the year at 13.77%, below the 15% the board's policy calls for.
• Boundaries. Trustees unanimously approved 2027-28 boundary changes, including the first attendance zone for Marshall Middle School and moving part of Linder Elementary's zone to Travis Heights Elementary, CBS Austin also reported.

The board continues the budget discussion at a Nov. 5 information session and votes next on Nov. 12.

What our records add

The council rezoned the Brooke site before the sale. On July 23, the council approved AISD's request to rezone the former Brooke Elementary site at 3100 E. Fourth St. from public use to a commercial and vertical mixed-use district, and a matching neighborhood plan change. Both passed on all three readings, 10-0, with Council Member Vanessa Fuentes absent. Staff and the Planning Commission recommended approval, according to the staff report. AISD was the applicant.

That rezoning is one way city decisions affect the district's budget: zoning can change what a closed campus is worth to a buyer. Community Impact did not name the Brooke buyer, and our records do not show one.

The council wants a say in closed campuses. In March the council passed, 6-2, a resolution asking the city manager to explore partnerships with school districts to reuse closed campuses and to write a land policy that keeps public sites in community use. Mayor Kirk Watson and Council Member José Velásquez voted no. Our story on the district's other property sales covers how that policy fits.

City-district agreements. The council has approved recent AISD agreements without dissent, including a student internship agreement in September, 11-0. On Nov. 5 it takes up a five-year Literacy First tutoring agreement, paid from the Parks and Recreation budget.

Trustee races on the same ballot

Five school board seats are on Tuesday's ballot: Districts 1, 4, 6 and 7 and at-large District 9. Thirteen candidates reported more than $145,000 in contributions in their final pre-election reports, the Austin Current reported. Individual totals ranged from under $20 to more than $40,000.

The board that takes office will face the budget gap and the state's decision on Burnet and Webb middle schools. Our story on the petitions covers that track.

What's next

• Nov. 3: Trustee elections.
• Nov. 5: AISD budget information session; the City Council meets the same day.
• Nov. 12: Next AISD voting meeting.
• End of November: Improvement plans due to TEA.